Pub owner hits out at ‘angry little man’ review by woman wanting a freebie

Heath Ball was branded an ‘angry little man’ over the mistake (Picture: Jam Press)

The owner of a pub has hit back at a customer who branded him an ‘angry little man’ in a scathing review.

Heath Ball is owner of the Red Lion & Sun pub in Highgate, and he was ‘baffled’ when a customer helped themselves to the frozen cocktail machine as if it was free.

The punter left a three-star review on TripAdvisor, saying there was nobody to pour the drinks and clean glasses nearby, leading her to assume the drinks were free.

But Heath, 50, has slammed the customer and says it’s tough enough for pubs to make money without handing out free alcohol.

The review said: We then went to sit outside and there was a frozen margarita stand with pouring machine with no one there to pour and no signs explaining this was not a complimentary drink or where to pay so I assumed as there were clean glasses on the stand they were free.

‘I was then greeted by a rude man who demanded I pay for the drink when I explained I thought it was complimentary due to lack of signs and said I wasn’t prepared to pay £12 for a drink I thought was free he then took the drink away and poured it away and came back with a rather aggressive sign that was not really required.

‘It’s a pub it’s meant to be fun environment and in this instance the customer was not right!!! 

The pub has a frozen margarita stand – but it’s not self-serve (Picture: Jam Press)

The dissatisfied customer left a review on TripAdvisor (Picture: Jam Press)

Heath hastily put up a sign after the altercation (Picture: Jam Press)

‘Lol it’s a shame about the very angry little man who happened to be the manager who then continued to storm around past me.’

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But Heath says it’s not ‘rocket science’ to understand that you have to pay for drinks in a pub.

He told MailOnline: ‘In all the years I’ve had the machine, no one has ever done that, it’s left me baffled.

‘We’re so busy, so thinking the drinks are there to take for free is absolute madness.

‘She was drinking all day and it’s quite clearly advertised with signs the prices of these drinks.

‘If it was free, then we’d have a queue around the block, it’s just a stupid excuse.

‘It’s the first time it’s happened, as no one has ever done this, as they know they’re not free.

‘Why would I have a free margarita stand sitting here?

‘It’s tough making enough money right now, let alone giving alcohol away for free.

‘She got upset when I showed her the sign [and then she] took a photo and put it on her TripAdvisor.’

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